Why (and How) To Get An Online Following

In my daily life, I often ask people to tell me about themselves. I usually start with the question – “what do you love”?

The responses I get frequently amaze me. People tell me incredible stories about their passions, including lengths they’ve gone through, money they’ve invested into their passions and money they’ve earned. Often, I’m shocked, because I wouldn’t have known unless I asked. Do they have a website that’s regularly being updated with these amazing things? No. Do they have a blog? No. How on earth will people find out about them? How will people give they money? How would anyone find out about their stories, or their ideas, their vision, or their accomplishments?

Think for a moment about something you’re passionate about, or something you’ve accomplished. How would someone find out about that if they didn’t ask?

In this 2 part series, I’ll address 2 parts of the question – WHY to get an online following, then HOW.

In times past, when people wanted to purchase something, or work with a professional on a project, people went to stores. This seems odd to me now, but if people back then wanted help, they went to a store owner who had clearly been successful, and asked that person. Since I hardly ever go to stores anymore (it’s 2014!), I know that many other people are the same way.

Today, to be viewed as knowledgeable and having an expert opinion, you need a digital “storefront” – an online following. It doesn’t matter what you love, people will be drawn to your passion and will view you as an expert if you talk about what you do, provide valuable content, and frequently showcase what you’re working on, (including the mistakes you’ve made along the way!)

You want to get a job in 2014? Resumes are not relevant anymore. Being able to show a group of people who value and trust your opinion carries far more weight than a resume ever could.

Here’s what that doesn’t mean.These are the top 3 biggest mistakes currently being made.

1. Talking about how great you are constantly. No one cares. I’ll be showing examples of this in future posts.

2. Posting about the same thing over and over. I flick through my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feed pretty quickly. Many posts are boring, and easily skipped. Here’s a fact – if you’re posting the same selfie over and over, I’m scrolling past your pictures without liking them. Just because celebrities do this doesn’t make it right. I’m actually only looking for one thing online – something that grabs my interest and holds it, even if it’s just for a few seconds. I’ll be showing how to do this.

3. Constantly asking people to “like” what you do. Here’s the reality – the number of “likes” you have doesn’t matter. If I only had two “likes” but they were from Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey, does it matter that I only have 2? If you are providing valuable information, people will like what you do and eagerly come back for more.

Do you want people to know what you love and give you recognition (and money!) for it? In my next article, I’ll show you how to start making that happen.